Share

Britain presses for ‘unique’ deal with European Union after Brexit

Labour MP Chuka Umunna, chairman of the Vote Leave Watch group, said: “Working people the length and breadth of Britain benefit enormously from Britain’s place in the European single market”. He also implied that the United Kingdom had a strong negotiating position, thinking a “unique solution” was needed for the United Kingdom given it being “a large market for very important industries in the European Union”.

Advertisement

Her government, May said, will not take decisions until ready, nor will it reveal its hand prematurely or provide “a running commentary on every twist and turn of the negotiation”.

New British leader Theresa May sought Monday to start shaping her country’s post-EU access to world markets, but faced a Japanese warning over the fallout from Brexit while the USA said London was not its priority.

May also told Tusk that Britain would be a “strong player” while it remained in the European Union, and would continue to stand firm on sanctions against Russian Federation over its action in neighbouring Ukraine.

“I’m sorry to say that in her first PMQs in July, you put Theresa May under no pressure at all”, wrote Mr Smith to the Labour leader.

But these talks could be important because they could help to set the tone for the opening phase of the more serious negotiations on Brexit whenever they might begin – and when they do it’s worth noting Mr Tusk will be representing the interests of the 27 states remaining in the European Union, rather than the one that’s leaving. Ball in United Kingdom court to start negotiations.

Foreign minister Boris Johnson and trade minister Liam Fox were part of the “Brexit” camp that argued that voting to leave the European Union would free Britain from the duty to admit all EU nationals who want to live and work here, enabling it to cut immigration.

“I have no doubt that at the end of the day our common strategic goal is to establish the closest possible relations”.

Earlier in the week Downing Street had attempted to play down Brexit Secretary David Davis’s suggestion that it was “improbable” Britain could remain in the single market.

Mrs May has insisted she will not reveal her negotiating hand “prematurely” and won’t give a “running commentary” on Brexit talks.

“We can not gamble our economic future on a Liam Fox world tour exploring trade deals when countries have already said that settling our relationship with the European Union is the priority”.

That prompted Mr Corbyn’s team to stress that he backed “full access” to the single market for goods and services but opposed certain directives linked to it, such as state aid rules and requirements to deregulate and privatise public services.

Advertisement

Theresa May was talking trade at the G20 and Germany isn’t pleased.

British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks at a news conference after the closing of G20 Summit in Hangzhou Zhejiang Province China